This is a picture ( I used my camera to take a pic of an old black and white)I wanted to post last week. December 7th was Pearl Harbor Day and my Dad was a sailor on the USS Oklahoma. The first picture is a group of friends and the blurry one is my Mom and Dad. My Dad was a small town boy. Grew up as one of two sons of French family living in a small mining town in Colorado. His Father (my Grandpa) was a coal miner his whole life. He left us a journal that is very fascinating. He started working in the mines as a boy. My dad worked some in the mines, but when he turned 18, he joined the Navy. He had been dating my mom off and on all through their teens. In those days (the early 30's) they had barn dances all over the area and they met at these dances. He must have felt like he was in a whole different world.... a whole BIG world. I think he probably loved it. He was stationed in San Francisco part of his early years in the Navy. My mom moved there (she called it 'Frisco') some time in the years before the war. She worked as a waitress and lived with a bunch of gals that were also waitresses. I don't have the dates, but she moved back home to the Denver area to be closer to her own family when my Dad was stationed in Hawaii. He was there on the USS Oklahoma on that morning. The morning the bombers flew over. His ship was sinking, but he was not injured so he was one of the men that used life boats to take injured sailors to the shore. I can't even imagine what my Mom felt like when she heard the news. Neither one of them were good at talking about those days. He had been in the service for four years and on that day that war was declared, he was audomatically reinlisted for four more years. They were married shortly after the war ended and they returned to that small town he grew up in. That is where my Brother, Sister and I were born and grew up.This is late, but it is one small way to say Thank You to all the men and women that have served and serve now to keep us safe.
12 comments:
What a wonderful story of your Mom and Dad. Thankfully he was not hurt. My dad served on the European front and was injured spending almost a year in hospitals. But he survived and never talked much about those days at all. It was not a good time to remember. I pray every day for our guys and gals in the military. They are such brave wonderful people and do give up a lot for us all.
It sounds like your dad was like so many soldiers who just did not talk about their war experiences. This is a great telling of his story, and your mom's. It must have been awful for her to hear the news and not know what had happened to your dad.
Thanks to you dad and to all who have served.
Thank you for this heartwrenching story!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Thanks for sharing this story--it is always fascinating to think about that period in history. I can't imagine living through that time and wish the folks had talked more about it. One of our friends has interviewed many in our area about their experiences and they have this on our SC public Tv--but I haven't watched very many of these!
Your Christmas tree is almost as beautiful as your touching story about your Dad, Mom and his family. You must be a proud daughter, Pam.
The news just announced the end of the war and our remaining troops are on their way home.
Warm hugs, Pam 2
This heart warming story choked me up.
It's an amazing story Pam.
My Dad is a D-day survivor and has so many stories about those times. We're blessed in that he shares so much of what happened during those war years (not all I'm sure).
They are a remarkable generation and this is a lovely tribute.
Thank you for sharing your story. It had to be hard to see all that they saw during the war. My son in law is in the military and has been at war 3 different times. Thank goodness he is home safe now. And thank goodness for all the military that keep us safe.
Blessings & Love
Janet
Thanks for dropping by as Christmas draws near.. I bet you are busy, my friend.
Take care, xoxo
Thanks for stopping by, Miss Busy-as-a-bee. Enjoy this blessed season, snow or no snow.
Hugs,
Pam i am 2
I've toured Pearl Harbor and was moved and your father's story adds a deeper dimension. My father was in Europe for the last two years of the the war. So thankful for all they did to insure our freedom.
I just saw in the news where another "survivor" had passed on and his ashes were returned to his "ship" to be with his "mates" who never made it out.
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